Ever and After
by KiKi Hayashi
Summary: Collection of Post-R2 prompt-based oneshots. Mostly fluff-based and under the assumption that Lelouch lives.
1. Sugar and Spice

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass.

**Was suppose to be part of the Christmas/winter word prompt thing that was happening in the 'Witch x Warlock' forum…. Yeah, it's waaaay over Christmas now….**

**Word Prompt: **Gingerbread Men

**Setting**: Post-R2 and Lelouch lives.

* * *

**Sugar and Spice**

* * *

He tapped the surface of his keyboard's keys lightly, just hard enough to make some noise but not enough pressure to make letters appear on the screen, as he tried to think of the right word. Perhaps he should thesaurus it? But he liked to challenge his brain especially during these times when it was peaceful and his intelligence was rarely put to use.

It was during this break in his writing that he finally noticed the sweet smell wafting out of the kitchen. No cheese – his nose told him. Then it is not pizza and that fact alone made him curious. C.C.? In the kitchen? Consuming something that was not drizzled with melted cheese and pepperoni?

He saved his work on the computer and got out of his chair to follow his nose to the door of the kitchen.

"What is this?" Lelouch questioned as he heard clattering sounds from the kitchen. He leant against the kitchen's doorframe as his fingers reached up and pulled off the glasses he wore for writing with.

C.C. looked up from whatever she was working on, her green locks pulled up into a very messy chignon, and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

"You're actually using our kitchen?" he said in slight disbelief.

She returned to her work, only pausing to lick coloured icing from her fingertips and sneaking gumdrop buttons from a packet lying opened on the table. "Of course, I paid for this kitchen after all."

"No," he corrected, "I paid for it with the royalties of my first book."

C.C. ripped open a packet of chocolate buttons, frowning slightly at her sticky hands. "I paid for the half the utensils then."

He chuckled and glided across the apricot coloured tiles of their kitchen floor. "You're wrong again. I picked out and paid for the utensils."

"Hm, really?" She licked another flick of icing off her finger and resumed her work, ignoring the way a few strands of her long hair had escaped her chignon and was dangling dangerously near a bag of icing sugar.

"What happened to Pizza Hut?" Lelouch asked as he swept over silently and brushed her escaped locks up and away from the sugar. With nothing to tie them back and himself being rather lazy in redoing her hair for her, he tucked them into the back of her blouse.

"They're closed today," she answered, her hands tightening on the icing tube at the very thought of having to go without pizza for one day.

"What are you making?" he asked, hoping to change the subject before the tube of icing burst in her fists and splatter the kitchen with sticky goo. The dirty pots and bowls the witch dumped into the sink was enough cleaning already so he would like to not have to scrub the floor and worktops free from icing thank you very much. "Gingerbread men?"

"I found the baking kit lying in the cupboard." She said as if that was a perfectly reasonable reason to suddenly bake something that neither of them particularly paid any interest in.

"You could had at least put on an apron," he chided and they both gazed down to the front of her outfit which was now completely dusted and caked with splatters of flour, icing sugar and flecks of dough and crumbs.

He sat down and peered over the packets of decoration to the actual baked goods themselves. "They're shaped strangely and why are they so thin?"

She rolled her eyes but continue her icing. "Excuse me for not being an expert cook and for rolling the dough out too thin. You can just not eat them and I can have them all for myself."

But he reached over and picked one up anyway. "Crunchy," he commented like a taste-tester and then added with a twisted of his mouth, "Too sweet."

She stared at him with a green eyebrow raised, "You do realise that you just bit off your own arm, right?"

Lelouch spluttered and looked down at the biscuit in his hand. "This is me? But it looks nothing like me."

"Oh? Really? I thought I was quite the artist to capture you so perfectly in biscuit form."

"I do not have pink eyes!"

She picked up a gingerbread man and waved it in his face. "I used up the last of the purple icing for your Zero outfit. I considered mixing the blue and pink icing but it turned a strange colour and……did you just behead me?"

He chewed, scowling at the amount of icing and sugar that was invading his mouth. He was lucky that he was an immortal now and thus owned immortal teeth, else he would fear tooth decay at the amount of gingerbread men still on the table.

"You taste…. sugary," was all he could say and he rolled his tongue around the cavern of his mouth to get rid of the icing that clung to the crevices of his teeth.

Of course, C.C. being C.C., could not possibly allow a comment like that to pass on by without teasing him about it. "Are you implying that I'm too cute for words?"

This made his eyes harden almost into a form of a glare but since it was not quite, we will settle for a vicious stare. "I'm referring to your gingerbread man."

"Woman," she corrected, "Gingerbread woman."

"Gingerbread witch," he muttered and broke off another chunk with his teeth. It made her glare at him.

"Not only do you behead me but you take away my writing hand too?"

"I thought you write with your left."

"I'm ambidextrous but my right hand's handwriting is neater. You grow bored and learn these things when you lived as long as I have."

He was not in the least surprised with this bit of new information. He had long ago suspected as such since she was perfectly capable of dialling the pizza hut number just as quickly with her right hand as she does with her left, all the while upside down and holding him an a headlock as he tried to wrestle his cell-phone back from her.

He looked down at the biscuit in his hand and then with a shrug, he bit off her other arm as well. C.C.'s mouth opened and she gaped at him.

"Now you're balanced," he chuckled, waving the gingerbread witch a little.

"Hn, two can play that game." She reached down and grabbed the half-eaten gingerbread Lelouch which he had accidently took a bit of earlier. She closed her teeth on his leg and, with a 'crunch', snapped it off. "My, Lelouch, I never would have thought you would be so sweet."

"I am always sweet."

She gave a low chuckle, hiding a corner of her lips behind the biscuit in her hand. "I meant the gingerbread Lelouch, of course."

"Yes, I know."

"For you are hardly sweet towards me," now she was plain teasing him now. Her eyes shimmered with mirth and challenge. She blinked ever so slowly as if waiting for him to think up a reply.

He finished the biscuit in his hand and dragged his thumb across his lips to brush away the crumbs. Well, he always liked a bit of a challenge. "Am I not?"

"Oh, most definitely. You limit my pizza eating and you used to lock me in your room and…"

"But that was all in the past," he said, sliding off the chair to reach for another biscuit. "I am sweet to you now."

"You still limit my pizza eating even when you have now experienced an immortal's powers of staying in shape and not have to worry about nutrition and health."

"Indeed," was his only reply before he plucked gingerbread Cheese-kun off the table. He took a graceful step forward. "But I insist I am sweet towards you all the time."

"What are you doing?" C.C. asked, eyes peering up at him suspiciously when he stopped right in front of her. There was a way where she never tilted her face up to look at him but simply rolled her eyeballs up to observe him from under her lashes that always annoyed him - though which aspect of it annoyed him, he had yet to determine. Was it the way it looked like she still held the upper hand or was it the way it looked so secretive and haughty that it made him frustrated to be out of the loop? Regardless, it annoyed him and she knew perfectly well it did. Maybe that was why she was using that expression right now.

He smiled and snapped the Cheese-kun biscuit in half. Her attention went to the broken biscuit, horrified that he broke her precious gingerbread Cheese-kun. "Lelouch," she warned, hands reaching out to rescue Cheese-kun from his hands.

But he moved elegantly and caught his accomplice's chin between his thumb and forefinger before, with eyes half lidded in smugness, pushed one half of the biscuit into the witch's lips.

She spluttered slightly but the noise was mostly covered when he bent his head down and pressed his own lips to hers, sealing them shut.

"Mmph!" C.C. managed to mumble as thoughts ran through her head. Should she be aghast that she was actually eating her precious Cheese-kun gingerbread? Should she focus on chewing? Should she just attempt to swallow it whole? Should she….

Lelouch was staring at her and she rolled her eyes at him with their lips still against each other's.

"Are you challenging me, boya?" she thought and he simply responded by dropping the other half of Cheese-kun on the table and placing his hands on her shoulders to push her back until her back pressed against the fridge door, all the while still staring at her with violet eyes which seem to laugh at her predicament.

So she chewed quickly, swallowed the gingerbread and kissed him back with such force that it would bruise his lips, completely turning his sweet kiss into something else. He fumbled for two seconds then fought back with equal force, pushing her back further until the back of her head hit the fridge door with a soft thud and his lips was mashed on hers, teeth clashing and tongue invading.

Ara, who knew that behind his polite actions and appearance, he could be so rude and forceful in kissing?

She laughed into his mouth when he slowed down and instead of mashing their faces together, his lips were soft and gentle on hers.

"What are you laughing at?" Lelouch asked when he finally could not breathe and lifted his lips off hers. Instead, he took quick breathes as he kissed wet compliments over the corners of her mouth and all around her chin with one of his hands leaving her shoulder to clasp her chin, tilting her head back so that he could nip at her jawbone with his teeth.

"I'm laughing at you, my warlock. You obviously lack stamina in both physical exercise and in kissing."

He stopped kissing her and pulled away so that she could clearly see his displeased raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that the wrong thing to say?" C.C. teased.

"Hmph," he uttered and tried to wrench his hands away from her. "I have work to do."

She caught his hands, picked up what remains of gingerbread Lelouch from the table. "Yes, indeed, work we have. We need to build up your stamina and what better way to it than to practice, my warlock?"

So she shoved the biscuit into his mouth, pulled his head down and with a whisper of 'Mm, maybe you are sweet after all', she covered his lips with hers.

* * *

END

* * *

**Many thanks for reading**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	2. Glove and Mittens

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: Winter/Christmas Word Prompt - Gloves/Mittens

**Notes**: I seem to like this post-R2 setting a lot and keep coming back to it. So hey, why not make it a collection of one-shots. Changed the title to 'Ever and After'.

**Warning**: Post-R2, possible OOC alert, isn't beta-ed (because my adorable betas have so much on their plate right now and I feel horrible for bringing them more things to work on. Will get this corrected when they're free) and …. Fluff?

**Sorry for all the mistakes that must be fluttering everywhere, I'll run back and catch them in my net another time. In the meantime, enjoy.**

* * *

**Gloves and Mittens**

* * *

They were walking down a street - a busy street. One chocked full with people talking, giggling, walking, running, waiting, standing, sitting, busking and everything.

C.C. furrowed her brows at the noise and pulled up the furry hood of her coat. She missed the quiet and peaceful cosiness of their cottage, the warmth and relaxing feeling of lounging in front of the fire and the boxes upon boxes of pizza that she could order over the phone.

She shifted the bags to her other hand and looked at her watch impatiently. Six o'clock, Pizza Hut is going to start wondering where their favourite customer disappeared to, why was she not calling them yet and how they are suppose to meet their target numbers without the woman who buys ten percent of their pizza every day.

"Stop glaring at your watch," Lelouch sighed, nimbly dodging through a group of teenage rabble, which refused to neither break apart nor move aside for fellow pedestrians.

"I'm missing my show and Icarus is supposed to be making a cameo tonight," she almost complained in a whiny tone. However, she was C.C. and C.C. does not whine so she settled for an annoyed tone instead.

Lelouch lifted an eyebrow and several female passersby stopped walking and simply stared at his elegance – not that he noticed. "Only the show?"

The witch rolled her eyes, adjusted her furry hood and scarf then finally said, "Fine, I miss pizza. Why did you drag me to do grocery shopping with you? You always managed it fine by yourself."

He chuckled and fell in step beside her, glancing into nearby shop windows that glowed into the sidewalks, lighting up the dark streets. "C.C., you can't stay indoors all the time."

"Really? You were fine with me being indoors all the time in the past," she grumbled into her scarf. He did not hear her words or at least pretended they were not uttered. Instead, he chose to notice the way she kept switching her bags from hand to hand and flexing her fingers like the exercise would warm them up.

"Are you cold?"

She turned to glare at him.

"Yes, yes, I guess the answer was obvious."

She started walking again and he stared at her back. He watched as she shuddered from a passing wind and how she looked so small in a coat so big – her fault really, she should have wore her own coat rather than choosing to steal his.

She scuffed her boots on the pavement, turned around and stared at her lifted heel.

Lelouch laughed and went up to her side. "You have gum on your shoe."

"I noticed," she remarked dryly and kept scraping the soles of her boots on the floor in hopes of getting it off. It took her a few tries, by then he was chuckling into his own scarf, and she was dying for a cup of hot coffee (or tea or chocolate or milk or whatever - as long as it was hot).

She fumbled to pick the shopping bags back up again but he caught her fingers.

"They're like icicles," he commented. "Where are the mittens I got you?"

"I don't like mittens."

"Why?"

"Because it's hard to dial the Pizza Hut number with mittens on."

"You and your pizza."

"It's not like I cannot heal frostbite immediately."

"C.C.," he sighed with a shake of his head and a slight smile on his face as if saying 'what am I to do with you'. "Give me your hands."

"Are you going to give me your gloves?"

"I have no choice, I guess."

And she practically ripped the gloves off his hands and shoved her own frozen digits in, her face almost melting in bliss as warmth surrounded her fingers, thumbs, knuckles and palms.

"And what about me?" asked the handsome Lelouch beside her.

She gave him an expression that could only be classified as 'you can figure it out by yourself' then stalked off, waving her shopping bags a bit now that the handles no longer cut into her bare cold palms.

"Wait!" he shouted and with two quick steps, snatched the swinging wrist that was closest to him.

"What do you want now?"

He switched her bags so that they all gather in her other hand and then, without warning, he slipped his fingers into the glove of the hand he caught.

"What are you doing?"

"The glove is big enough to fit both of us."

"Lelouch, you are holding my hand."

"And?" He smiled at her. He smiled that heart-melting gentle smile of his that makes his eyes a little half-lidded and his head tilt softly to one side.

His palm was against hers, each of his fingers trapped with hers in the same confined space of each digit of the glove, sharing warmth, sharing coldness, sharing the same sweaty air and the same uncomfortable feeling of the glove's material stretching across the back of their hands in, straining to contain them.

He lied.

The glove was not big enough to fit both of them.

But he started walking and was pulling her along, fingers flexing on hers as if he was trying to glue them on and not let go.

And really…

Even if it was uncomfortable…

And his fingers were much longer than hers were…

And her hand was much smaller than his was…

She did not mind.

"Don't walk so fast."

A huff

"Stop standing there then."

A laugh

"I'm not."

A retort

"You are."

A tease

"Stop pulling me along as if I'm a doll."

A complaint

"Try to keep up then."

A smile

* * *

END

* * *

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**KiKi Hayashi**


	3. Ladders and Lights

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: Christmas/Winter Word Prompt – Christmas Lights

**Warning**: definitely needs an OOC warning…because I failed in keeping them in character in this one....but it's kinda cute and I can't make myself change it - this attitude will soon lead to disaster. Flee while you can.

* * *

**Ladders and Lights**

* * *

"Maybe we should take them down."

"Take what down?"

"The Christmas lights dangling from the edge of our roof."

"Why?"

"C.C., it's nearly the end of January. You don't see Christmas lights outside any of our neighbours' houses do you?"

"We'll just leave them hanging for this year's Christmas then. It will save us the effort of putting them up again."

"C.C."

"Fine, we'll do it tomorrow."

"If I recall correctly, you said that two weeks ago."

"Did I really?"

…

…

"Come on, let's take them down now."

"Skippy said it's going to rain today. We wouldn't be able to get inside in time if we start taking out the ladder now."

"Skippy?"

"The weatherman."

"Aa…"

…

…

"The weather still looks passably good. Let's get them down before the rain hits."

"Lelouch, it's going to rain. Just let the lights go. We can do it tomorrow."

"I'll get the ladder."

"You are such an impatient boy."

"Ready our coats, will you?"

…

…

"Do you – gasp- have the co- gasp-ats?"

…

"Stop laughing at me and help me with this."

"Oh I was only chuckling, my warlock. Only chuckling, not laughing – merely chuckling."

"C.C.!"

"Yes, yes. Take the ladder off you before it squishes you. Here. There."

"-Gasp- Thank you."

…

…

…

"You forgot your coat!"

"It's not as if the cold could kill us. Trust me; I've tried it several times."

"Just wear it."

…

…

"Well, are you going to go up the ladder or not?"

"Me?"

"Ara, you didn't expect me to go did you? I am wearing a skirt today. Do you truly want to see my panties that much?"

"Fine, I'll go."

"Aa, there goes the blush scattered across the young boys' face once more."

"Hmph."

…

…

"The girl on the opposite side of the street is staring at you, Lelouch."

…

"Well to be more specific, she's staring at your rear end as you climb up."

"C.C.!"

"Sorry, did I make you slip?"

"Hmph."

"As charming as ever, I see."

…

…

"The rain clouds are coming, Lelouch."

"I can see that."

"Let's just leave the lights today. If we get in now, we can…"

"C.C., the wind blowing this thing into the windows all night is enough to drive me insane."

"Clackity clack clack clack clack"

"Stop it, C.C."

"Hn, whatever you wish then, my warlock."

…

…

…

"Now, why are you blushing?"

…

"Oh…"

…

"Oh… I see…"

"Zip up your coat!"

"You're blushing because from up there you can see down my blouse? Ever so shy, you are…"

"Just zip up your coat."

"Hmm, is that really what you want?"

"C.C."

"Very well."

…

"Why is it that every time you say my name, it's in a warning tone?"

"Why is it that every time you say my name, it's in a teasing tone then?"

"Hmm, touché."

…

…

…

"Are you fine up there? What's taking so long?"

"Only a little tangled."

"Shall I do it instead?"

"No, you're wearing a skirt."

"So?"

"What kind of gentleman am I if I let a girl in a skirt climb up a ladder and not stop her?"

"You forget, you're not a gentleman now. You're a warlock."

"A gentlemanly warlock."

"-Snort- Then what am I? A ladylike witch?"

"A wicked witch."

"I heard that, Lelouch."

…

…

…

"If I'm a wicked witch then you're a wicked warlock."

"Hm? Then what will we be then? A wicked couple? A wicked pair?"

"Wicked immortals that are going to be rained on very quickly if you don't hurry up."

"I'm done. I'm done."

…

…

"Urgh! I told you to hurry up."

"Move aside, I'll get the ladder. The rain would be over before you could drag it anywhere near the door."

"C.C."

"Just get inside."

…

…

…

"Well, we're inside but we're still fairly wet. Skippy said it'll drizzle but it pours instead."

"The weatherman is always wrong, isn't he?"

"Blaming it on the weatherman, Lelouch? But it was you who suggested we take down the lights. "

"Let me put the ladder away."

"Changing the subject are you, my warlock?"

"C.C."

"You can't possibly carry the ladder by yourself."

"It's not far – only to the garage."

"I don't thin- OOF!!"

…

…

…

…

…

"Well, I say you had this planned all along."

"Wha- C.C.!"

"Surely you don't expect me to believe that this was all an accident. That you did not, on purposely, lured me outside for something so silly as Christmas lights, got me drenched in the rain then once we're indoors, conveniently and accidently topple on top of me and somehow, equally conveniently and accidently, have both of us entangled in that accursed string of Christmas lights you went out to fetch?"

"C.C., I did not plan all this."

"Ara, is that true?"

"C.C."

"Another warning tone? Hn…"

…

"But in such a suggestive position we're in, the tone does make you somewhat attractive."

…

…

"Somewhat?"

"Yes, somewhat… enough to make me wrap my arms around you… and …."

…

"Maybe… possibly…"

…

"…Possibly…"

…

"Kiss…"

…

"…You"

* * *

End

* * *

**Urgh, this dialogue-only way of writing is far too hard, remind me never to touch it again.**

**Ad**: The usual, join us at **'Witch x Warlock'** where you can all witness KiKi makes a fool of herself… maybe...

**KiKi Hayashi**


	4. Doves and Chase

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt:** Valentine Word Prompt – Doves

**Warning:** A slight change of tone and a little messy, apologies.

**Warning#2:** There's blood.

**Ad:** Come talk to us in 'WitchxWarlock' (link in my profile if required). We now have a 'stunningly handsome' (his words not mine) superhero style onii-sama, Skippy Sigmatic.

* * *

**Doves and Chase**

* * *

It was a rare sight to see C.C. out in the garden putting out laundry of all things. Even Lelouch still had to blink at her through the window for a good few seconds every time she willingly went outside with a large basket of wet clothes. Then, if she caught him blinking at her puzzlingly, she would merely raised an eyebrow as if daring him to say a word. He never did, because it was one of the very few chores she occasionally help with and he feared that mentioning it would make her stop.

So when C.C. 's figure appear in the window and started throwing freshly washed bed sheets onto the line, secure them with a peg so they will not flap away with the slight breeze they had that day and stood there, gazing at the flapping cotton, Lelouch merely blinked.

He didn't do anything but sip at his coffee and continued reading the newspapers spread out in front of him, finding nothing strange of the sight of his partner standing in the garden.

What he did find strange was the sudden crashing sound that echoed out of the kitchen. His head jerked up and saw that C.C. was still outside. Their eyes connected through the pane of glass that was the window of his study.

She heard the noise too.

As one, they ran. Lelouch manoeuvred through the rooms of their tiny cottage and C.C. leaping over her washing basket and the tiny herb garden they kept (because apparently Lelouch liked using fresh herbs in his cooking).

"A burglar? In broad daylight? You serious?" thought the handsome warlock.

"My pizza must have exploded in the oven," thought the green-haired witch.

Of course, Lelouch being Lelouch, was slightly winded by the time he got to the kitchen (he blamed having to vault over the sofa and coffee table as his reason for his short of breath and not the ten second walking distance from his study to the kitchen). C.C. laughed at him very maturely.

"What happened?" he asked.

"That happened," she chuckled, pointing at the smashed jar on the floor. A flurry of white feathers covered the area and a pair of confused doves flapped around in small circles.

"Doves?"

"They must have flown into through the backdoor."

"You left it open?!"

"I was only outside for a minute with the washing and our cottage could do with some fresh air once in a while," she reasoned then walked over to the oven, peering through the glass as if worried that the birds' fantastic crash entrance could have startled her pizza's feelings.

"Cooo cooo cooo," the doves went as they grew more agitated and started flying haphazardly around the room in search for an exit.

Lelouch sighed dramatically and reached over to open the back door a little wider. "Here, you silly birds."

And since they were very smart doves they cooed once then dove for their exit.

Oh, they found the door alright - too bad it was the wrong door. Maybe they were not that smart after all.

C.C. glanced up from her oven and watched as Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Lelouch, did you just let them fly deeper into the house?"

"I didn't let them."

"Just get them back out," she told him, sauntering to the lounge where she was hoping to plop down on the nearest sofa and watch T.V. until her pizza was ready. Aa, but her wish of lazing was cut short when a dove swooped past and gold eyes locked onto what was dangling from the bird's feet.

"Oomph!" cried Lelouch as he was shoved aside with enough force to knock him to the floor. "C.C., what in Britannia…oh"

It seems that one of the two doves managed to get a Cheese-kun key chain tangled around one of his talons and like a mother running after a kidnapped child, C.C. was effectively stampeding out of the kitchen and into the hall to save her precious.

"Cooo cooo cooooooooo," went the dove's frightened cries as the witch proceed to jump up and down for the key chain. Lelouch did not know what to be more impressed by - the lengths the witch would go to save a useless accessory or the way her face just turned utterly serious and…pissed – yes, that would be the right word. Should normal people, having had their precious item stolen, not assume a panicked and frantic expression first?

"Lelouch, stop sitting there and help me," her monotone snapped.

"Aa," was his only reply as he clambered to his feet.

"Ooomph"

"Move out of the way."

"Stop knocking me down then!" he growled, running a hand through his bangs in exasperation.

She did not hear a single word he said and darted around the kitchen, now armed with a broom.

She waved it in the air in attempt to knock the terrified white bird out of the air.

"I.."

SWEEP

"…didn't save up…"

SWEEP

"…twenty five…"

SWEEP

"…Pizza Hut coupons…"

SWEEP

"… just for my prize…"

SWEEP

"…to become nest building material…"

SWEEP-WHACK

"C.C.," Lelouch warned, hissing in pain and now nursing a smarting scalp.

"Move out of the way."

"It's only a key chain."

WHACK

"Now, that was on purpose."

"Of course, my dear warlock, you were saying foolish things."

Lelouch grimaced, got to his feet, straightened his shirt and turned sharply on his heel, determined not to help the silly grey witch in her equally silly chase. He had work to do, pages to write, novels to finish and deadlines to meet else Von Baren, his editor, will complain again.

He managed to get all the way to his study's door before a sharp hiss of pain made him walk quickly back to where he left his immortal companion.

He found her on the floor, broom forgotten beside her, birds still flapping around the air like crazy and glass shards around her bloody feet.

Her eyes flicked up to his then with a wry smile, she lifted her hand, dangling her precious key chain from her finger. "Aa, Lelouch, just in time. Shoo these two pesky intruders out while I clean this up."

He sighed loudly. Why does he always sigh when he was around her? Such a troublesome witch.

"Did you stand on the glass of the broken jar they knocked over earlier?"He asked as he moved from the door.

"Possibly," was her only reply as she examined her own feet, lightly touching the glass shards embedded in her skin.

"Coo coo coooooo coooo"

"Get them out of here," she ordered again in her monotone, which was touched with the barest hints of pain as she attempted to pull the glass out of her wounds.

He opened the back door wider, nudged a door wedge under it to keep it open and, to her surprise, didn't immediately start on urging the doves out. Instead, he came towards her, carefully picking his way through the glass and knelt beside her.

"You are a troublesome witch," he told her as he slipped his arms under her knees and behind her back.

"Stop being heroic and attempting to save the damsel, Lelouch," were her words as he picked her up. "My feet will heal grandly without your help."

He set her on the kitchen countertop and, ignoring the roll of her eyes as she made an impatient noise, pulled over a seat and the bin then lifted her feet to his lap, not paying any heed to the way the blood was staining his new white shirt.

"Does pulling them out by yourself not hurt more?" he asked, silently wondering if he should find equipment to extract the glass. Aa, but by the time he return with equipment, the witch would have wrenched all the shards out with her own hands.

She shrugged, her eyes watched the two doves as they flapped in senseless circles around the ceiling lamp. "I've become used to it."

But she gasped and hissed loudly when he pulled out the first piece and dropped it into the bin beside him.

"Stop waiting so long between the shards. Pull them out quickly," she instructed, eyes closing and tucking her chin down to her collarbones. "You're too soft and gentle, Lelouch." Her voice was even and empty of emotions –typical C.C. monotone.

"Strange, you didn't want me to pull them out a moment ago."

"Hmm, well if you will not do it then I shall pull them out myself."

He caught her ankles before she could pull her feet up then with a flat line for his lips, he set to work.

So he worked quickly, sharply pulling the shards out and binning them before she could finish those hisses of her which was her way or crying out in pain. All the while, her head didn't move from her tucked position, her bangs curtained her eyes from his view and even though he glanced up to check her expression with each piece he extracted, her cheeks did not quiver, relax, tighten or move.

Had she not hissed with each extraction, he would have believed she had become a rock.

But she did.

She hissed at each glass shard but she didn't twitch – not once.

She was still as a rock.

She was a rock that made pained noises.

When he had extracted all that he could see and feel and will have to rely on the healing process itself to push out, he lifted her feet from his lap silently and carefully.

"C.C.," He said as he stood up, leant forward and gently sliding his blood-covered fingers and hands around her cheeks, smearing them and her hair red.

She lifted her head, eyes and expression still as cool as ever. "What?"

"Nothing," he said then cupping her face and with his fingertips woven into the green locks behind her ears, he bent his head and kissed her chastely…

Gently…

Softly…

Tenderly…

When he pulled back, her eyes were still closed from the kiss.

She laughed.

C.C. tilted her head back until she rested her head against the wall behind her and his hands dropped to cover her smaller ones on her lap.

"I keep forgetting," she said still with her eyes closed. "I'm not alone anymore."

And somewhere atop the kitchen cabinets, the two doves perched, side by side, heads together and quiet.

* * *

END

* * *

**Many thanks for reading,**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	5. Notes and Letters

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: Valentine Word Prompt – Note/Letter

**Warning**: Line-break spamming. Short fic.

**Ad**: *waves 'Witch x Warlock forum' flag*

* * *

**Notes and Letters**

* * *

C.C.,

Out for lunch. There is lasagne in the fridge.

Lelouch

* * *

Lelouch,

Your editor called. Phone him back ASAP – something about hiring new cover artist for your new book. Out to Pizza Hut.

C.C.

PS – lunch? With who?

PPS – Need more butter

* * *

C.C.,

Went to bed early. Who I lunched with? Does it matter? I have an early appointment tomorrow. If my editor calls again, tell him to call my cell.

Lelouch

PS – OUT to Pizza Hut? What happened to delivery?

* * *

L,

Your handwriting is too loopy and small. Learn to write clearer. I could hardly expect to get to work in time if I have to decipher your words every morning.

I do not care who you dined with, my warlock, but you are hardly ever home or awake when I am and you cannot blame a witch for becoming curious.

Pizza Hut? Well obviously one must travel down to the actual restaurant in order collect rewards. I will not bear having another chipped Cheese-kun figurine again.

C

* * *

C.C.,

Stop writing your notes on the back of my shopping list.

Curious? Oh? Curiosity killed the cat, did it not?

Lelouch

* * *

L,

I see you went to bed early again and with all the early mornings rises you have suddenly taken a liking to, I am starting to believe you are avoiding my company, my dear warlock and I am most amused.

Curiosity killed the cat? Well, it is a good thing I am a witch then.

Should I expect dinner ready when I get back from work?

C

PS – Stop using my Cheese-kun sticky notes to write your notes. They are limited edition and cost me ten pizza coupons per block.

* * *

C.C.,

Sorry, no dinner tonight. Editor insisted I dine with my new cover illustrator.

Lelouch

* * *

L,

Need more milk.

C

* * *

L,

Need more bacon.

C

* * *

L,

Ran out of washing powder

C

* * *

L,

Were you even home these past few days? Editor called, you need your final draft in by Friday.

C

PS – Need more cheese

* * *

C.C.,

I was gone for three days and I come home to see the kitchen sink filled with dirty plates and your shoes all over the hall.

Have to run out again. At least tidy your shoes away before I come home.

See you tonight

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Apologies, turns out I will be busy tonight as well.

Lelouch

* * *

L,

Have not seen you in almost a week and am certain you are avoiding me. This is most entertaining. What mysterious activities had my usually housebound warlock found that makes him constantly staying out until late and waking up before I do?

Most intriguing

C

PS – Need more milk again.

* * *

C.C.,

Not as intrigued as I. A jealous witch - who would have thought you have such a side.

Lelouch

* * *

L,

I have no idea what you are talking about. Jealousy? I am above that.

Your fan-mail arrived. Fangirl12 proclaims her undying love for your work once again.

C.

* * *

C.C.,

Please stop opening my mail before I do.

Should be home tonight.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Apologies once again. Cannot make it back in time. However, if you go to the harbour at eight, we can have dinner at the restaurant there. Rumours have it that they will be having a seafood pizza night. Dress nicely, high class restaurants do not usually permit women inside when they are sporting pizza-stained shirts.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

I see you got to the restaurant fine and I need not doubt your sense of direction. As the waiter would have told you, I am will not be dining in the restaurant with you. Instead, I arranged for them to set a table at the end of the harbour and serve us there.

I shall see you at there.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Turn left

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Turn right

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

At the very end of the boardwalk. You cannot miss it.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Wrong turn, my witch. Retrace your steps, please.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Almost there, keep walking.

Lelouch

* * *

C.C.,

Happy Valentine's Day.

From,

Lelouch

* * *

He heard the clipping of her heels before he saw her figure in the window. She saw him the same time he did and quirked a fine green eyebrow up.

"A yacht, my warlock?" she said, her voice barely making it through the glass. He smiled and shrugged, his hands adjusting the cufflinks of his shirt.

She looked around from where she was standing outside, wisps of her hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze and lips shining a pale pink from the faint lipstick she put on.

He leant closer to the window, still smiling at her and watched her as she shook her head. "You spent all your time this past week just getting a yacht, cleaning and decorating it?"

He leant closer to the window and she laughed.

"How unoriginal, my warlock," she chuckled as she bent down to kiss him through the glass. "how very unoriginal."

* * *

END

* * *

**JWM: **They are really cute together. It's very hard to resist them. And write more fics I shall, no worries. Many thanks for reading.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	6. Strawberries and Pickings

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: Spring Word Prompt – Fruit Picking

**Thank you ****Aspy****and F-chan**** for the inspiration.**

**Warning**: OOC? And total failz in writing sexy? Rushed writing too. Oh and this is completely out of season. Much better suited for summer but… meh….

* * *

**Strawberries and Pickings**

* * *

The greenhouse was warm, much warmer than outside which was warm enough already. They had been struck with a spell of strangely warm weather which made Lelouch wonder whether they suddenly moved to somewhere in the tropics when he was not paying attention.

Even the witch was coaxed away from the T.V. to put on a sundress, come out of the house and sit curled up in a deckchair to nap in the sun, occasionally blinking awake, yawning and stretching – sometimes the warlock wondered if he was living with a cat or a witch.

He shook his head at the sight of C.C. moving sluggishly to grab her glass of lemonade only to find it empty. She lifted her head and peered expectantly at him with lazy eyes that had yet to blink away their sleepiness.

He laughed silently from his position within the greenhouse and shook his head once more - no, he was not going to play waiter and fetch a refill of her drink for her – before returning to what he was working on.

"What are you doing?" C.C. asked, yawning as she appeared at the doorway of the greenhouse.

"Picking strawberries," was Lelouch's only reply as he plucked a plump red berry from its stem and placed it in the plastic container in his other hand.

"Hm, I wasn't aware we grew strawberries," she droned, stepping into the suffocating heat that was trapped in the greenhouse.

"Of course you wouldn't know since you don't even step in here."

"Aa," she voiced, signalling the end of that conversation. She stared at the troughs of strawberry plants lining the feet of each glass wall, then bent down and snapped an extra large strawberry off.

Her warlock held out his plastic container, expecting her to drop the fruit into it and help him with the harvest but she ignored him and simply bit into the berry, lips and tongue sucking blissfully at the sweet juices that soothed her parched throat so deliciously.

"I've had better," she commented as she finished the berry and tossed the green leafy stalk aside.

She reached for another one but caught glimpse of the twitch of Lelouch's eyebrow so paused from picking another fruit. "Is there a problem? You certainly weren't thinking of having these all for yourself, were you?"

"No," was his curt reply as he turned around and focused on his own strawberry picking once more. "I was actually thinking of making strawberry jam."

"Jam? Hm… I see."

…

…

"Lelouch?" she suddenly asked and his back stiffened upon hearing the obvious teasing tone of her voice and the scrape of her sandals as she inched closer.

"Hm?" he asked as he turned around suspiciously. He only saw a blur of red before his mouth met with the soft tender flesh of a red berry being shoved through his teeth.

She laughed and he scowled, chewing on the fruit and spitting out the green stalk that the witch had be so kind as to _not_ remove.

"C.C.," he warned but she only tilted her head, and gazed at him with a teasing angled smile.

Her lips parted slowly and she said the next few words with obvious amusement, "Yes, my warlock?"

And it worked.

He blushed, eyes flitting uncertainly to one side then the next as if checking to see if the high fences that surround their garden will really block out the wandering eyes of their neighbours. He had nothing to worry about, the fences were high and their immediate neighbours all owned single storied house with no high windows to peer curiously out of.

Just one kiss.

Just one peck on the lips.

Lelouch reached over, fingers sliding into the fine green hairs at the nape of her neck, and pulled her close. He kissed her once, softly then as if deciding he liked the sweet taste of strawberry that still lingered on her lips, he pecked her again… and again.

C.C. laughed. Her hand came up and, with determination, pushed on his shoulders, roughly shoving him to the floor until he was lying on his back and her hair curtained their faces as she hovered tantalisingly above him.

"My warlock, I thought we were picking strawberries?"

He studied her from his position on the floor then smirked. He caught C.C.'s wrists and with a yelp of laughter from her, he flipped their positions, uncaring of the pain as their elbows banged onto the rims of the strawberry troughs. If anything, he found the way her green hair fans out under her very attractive.

"I _am_ picking strawberries," he said smoothly and effortlessly nonchalant.

He plucked a red berry off a stem near her shoulder and pressed it lightly with his fingertips, just enough to squeeze some juices out. She watched as he dangled the fruit on her closed lips, letting the sweet juices drip on them before rolling it down her chin, leaving a sticky trail of pink liquid. The berry rolled to the hollow of her throat and there, he leant down and ate the fruit right off her skin.

"Hm…" she droned, impressed yet not quite so at the same time.

She wrenched her hands free, caught his head between her hands and pushed, lifting herself off the ground and forcing them both into a sitting position.

"My warlock, you have much to learn," she chuckled and continued pushing so that he fell backwards and onto the floor once more. Lelouch blinked as she lifted a leg to straddle him across the waist, ignoring the way her sundress rides up to reveal the creamy skin of her thighs and possibly the hint of the edges of her underwear (though that bit could be the boy's own imagination).

The witch traced a finger down her own neck, wiping away the excesses of the strawberry juices still left on her with and carefully licked her fingertip clean.

She chuckled and reached to pull a new red berry from the plants, ready to perform whatever tease she had in mind.

"Much to learn," she repeated.

He surprised her by responding with a quick "Really?" then, grabbing her elbows, rolled until their positions swapped once again and their hips and elbows banged on the troughs at the other side of the greenhouse, "Much to learn?"

His smile returned when she blinked up at him, momentarily baffled but remained curious and entertained. The strawberry that was in her hands had been flung away to who knows where in their position swap. "Well, this is interesting. You've certainly learnt something at least."

His grin widened as he hovered close to her skin, breathing softly on her collarbone and enjoying the teasing way one of the straps of her sundress had fallen off her shoulder. "I learnt from the best, do I not, C.C.?"

He felt her hand move up and clasp the front of his shirt and she arched her neck, lifting her chin up so that he had complete view of her slender neck.

He moved to kiss her jaw-line the same time her fingers closed around the buttons of his shirt and worked them free.

Then FLIP

The wind was knocked out of his lungs as his back landed hard on the ground and she was straddling on top once more, eyes glimmering cruelly from delight. Her fingernails tapped on his exposed chest, nudging aside the white material of his shirt and traced taunting circles on his skin.

She laughed, picked a strawberry from the plants nearby, ripped the green stalk and leaves off and, with a devious grin, said, "As I said, you still have much to learn, Lelouch."

Then she put the berry between her teeth and dipped her head down to kiss him with her hands taking his and guiding them so that they travelled up her thighs towards the edges of her hitched up skirt.

"Much to learn," she repeated, slightly muffled from the strawberry in her mouth, and smiled when his fingers touched the sides of her hips.

* * *

END

* * *

**AD:** The usual. 'WitchxWarlock' forum. Cookies. Huggles. Glomps. And did I mention that if you have anything you like written, to post it there and there's a very very very veeeeery high chance of it being written by someone there? We have about a dozen authors, 2-3 volunteer beta-readers and a few artists there at our (your) disposal.


	7. Puddles and Kindness

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: Spring prompt – Puddles

**Warning**: Rushed writing as per usual. Speech marks? What speech marks? Never heard of them.

* * *

**Puddles and Kindness**

* * *

She stumbled and splashed into a puddle, soaking the ends of her trousers and successfully submerging her entire left foot in murky water.

He laughed and she glared until he stopped, contained his chuckling and stood grinning silently.

Sighing, she looked down at her feet and dragged her soaking shoe out of the puddle, muttering incoherent words the entire time.

Lelouch grinned and kindly offered a hand but his partner ignored it, slipped past the hand and chose to go for his shoulder. She grumbled as she brushed her long hair to one side, grabbed onto his shoulder securely and started wriggling out of her shoe to tip the water out.

He kindly told her that they were in the middle of a street and that she should at least wait until they were home before she started wringing water from her socks - their cottage was, after all, only two blocks away.

C.C. scoffed, rolled her eyes and wrenched her sneakers off, pursing her lips in distaste as she pour a good handful of water out. He was kind enough to stand very still for her, quietly bearing her weight as she dumped her shoe to the floor and leant on him some more to pull off her socks.

Stray strands of her hair tickled the side of his neck as she leant over, wobbling a little to free her feet. He chuckled once, snaked an arm around her waist to stable her and C.C. kindly presented him with a raised green eyebrow.

He sighed, flexed his fingers that was resting above her hip and nodded with his head for her to continue.

So she did. She snapped her sock off and frowned at the sodden material then, before Lelouch could stop her, flung the sock into the air and sent it soaring into the bin.

He blinked at her then scowled.

C.C. smirked, informed him that the sock was old and reminded him that he was a kind young man who earned enough money from his latest novel to supply her with enough socks to drown her in.

Her warlock groaned and muttered he might very well do that since his witch was not kind enough to consider _not_ spending his money and obviously thought said money grew on trees thus was easily harvestable.

She laughed and leant in whilst balancing precariously on one foot so that her face was below his scowled one. She blinked her lashes down slowly and back up again then whispered that she was no good at harvesting money but she was very good a harvesting strawberries.

Lelouch choked, spluttered and flushed red. He turned his head to one side and coughed an agreement. The entire action only made her laugh more.

She swung back up straight, clutched his elbow and crouched to pick up her abandoned wet shoe, slipping it on effortlessly but screwing up her nose at the squelching sound.

C.C. looked up at the still blushing Lelouch, kindly allowed a smile (or was it a smirk?) to cross her face then slid her hand up from his elbow, fingers and knuckles dragging up the material of his coat.

She curled a cold hand around her warlock's neck, her thumb gently brushing the nape of his hair, and pulled his head down.

Lelouch grew confused within the blink of an eye and initially thought she was pulling him down for a kiss but her smirk told her otherwise.

He hissed her name as a warning, telling them that though they were near the privacy of their cottage, they were, sadly, not within it and that the street was quiet but it was still very much a public place.

She laughed at his warnings, grin growing and, very unkindly, yanked his head down.

He gasped sharply as she seemed to have miscalculated her strength and his face went completely off the trajectory path and ended up nowhere near her lips.

Instead, his mouth bumped right into the arch of her neck, barely an inch above her left collarbone.

She laughed delightedly at his reaction of surprise and shock then told him that this was her very kind way of thanking him for steadying her earlier on.

He mumbled something into her neck, cheeks burning at how inappropriate this position was and thinking how this was hardly a proper way of thanking someone.

His words did not make it to her ears so when he pulled back, Lelouch kindly repeated his words in a mutter.

She laughed, wrapped her other hand around his neck and replied that if she was, as he muttered, a silly witch, then what did that make the ever-handsome and clever Lelouch?

He grimaced then answered her.

C.C. nodded and kindly agreed that yes, he was indeed her silly warlock.

He rolled his violet eyes and tugged at her so that they can continue their way home.

There was a chuckle then a strangled gasp.

Lelouch glared at her and kindly demanded to know what in Britannia was she doing, to which she merely batted her lashes once and leant in a breathed hotly on his neck.

Her warlock groaned and muttered that if she wanted to be carried home then she could have simply asked. There was really no need to suddenly leap into his arms and declare a sudden 'fear' of stepping into more puddles.

Two steps forward and another strangled hiss escaped Lelouch's lips.

The warlock kindly told the witch to keep her lips and tongue away from his throat and, again, kindly reminded her that they are still very much in public view.

C.C. chuckled, lips painted with mirth and a finger swirling tight circles underneath his right earlobe, scraping her nail on the sensitive flesh. Hm, perhaps she can be kind enough just this once and not embarrass the poor boy in front of their neighbours.

She was, after all, a very kind witch….. kind of.

And he was a very kind and sweet and shy boy… kind of.

Another strangled hiss followed by her name said in a warning tone.

C.C. smiled – maybe she was not that kind after all.

* * *

END

* * *

**Ace**: Thank you! ^^

**KiKi Hayashi**


	8. Dresses and Guest

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: WitchxWarlock Spring Word Prompt – Spring Dress

* * *

**Review replies**: (temporarily, for this chapter, moved up here)

**Ace**: I try to be creative and like to experiment with different things. Glad you like my experiments ^^ Thank you.

* * *

**NOTES**: I started and plotted this chapter a while back then a page in, something happened and I lost inspiration for it completely. I know that this chapter would not fix what happened but I do hope that it'll make her happy and possibly reconsider.

* * *

**Dresses and Guest**

* * *

She knocked on the door when the doorbell failed to make her presence known. She grumbled when the knock also failed to make the door open.

"Don't tell me I drove all the way here for nothing," she groaned and muttered something about being made to wait outside when her feet was still sore from those darn heels the other night….or was it a week ago?

Perhaps she should just go home and eat pizza and ooooooo~ that's a pretty shrub. It almost looks like a…

"Can I help you?" a voice asked and she blinked once, realising the door had opened while she was distracted by th- ooooo, look a bird!

The girl who opened the door stared at her a little while longer then rolled her eyes and started to close it.

"No! Wait!" the easily distracted visitor blurted, catching the door handle. "Sorry! Sorry! I am looking for a Mr. Lamp? I'm his new cover illustrator and I was supposed to meet him…"

Her words stuttered to a halt when she finally caught sight of the other girl's gorgeous green locks. It wasn't everyday you see green hair – especially not one as bright as this one – and witness it being pulled off so perfectly and not looking garishly out of place.

The green haired girl stared at her through the gap of the open door and then slowly swung the door back open. She called into the house, pausing silently at the start as if she wanted to say something else but quickly reconsidered it. "Somebody is here looking for Arthur Lamp."

What a strange way to announce a guest's presence…

"Who?" A voice asked somewhere deeper in the house.

"Your new cover illustrator," the green-haired girl answered, stepping aside to let their guest inside.

"She's here? I thought the appointment was tomorrow…" the voice questioned, rounding the corner to reveal a well dressed young man with raven coloured hair and glasses perched at the end of his nose. He was buttoning his shirt cuffs as if he just finished getting dressed.

"It was but your editor said I could come today…" their guest explained, hefting her bag a little higher onto her shoulder.

"Aa, I see. We actually have a garden party to attend to-" the young man started to say apologetically until he was cut off with an 'It wouldn't take too long!' from his guest.

"Hmm, I guess we can arrive at the party a little late," he pondered aloud then, glancing at his female housemate, asked, "Shirley, why are you not dressed yet? The party is starting soon."

"Mm," was the only sound from Shirley then she stalked off down the hall, dragging a giant Cheese-kun behind her. The guest stared at the plushie jealously – she'll get one someday! She will!

Arthur smiled at her pleasantly then ushered her into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea? Coffee?"

"I rather not, since we're rushed for time," The guest answered and quickly started pulling out her sketchpad. "I look at all the previous cover illustrations and for your new book, I was wondering if this was…"

"Arthur?" Shirley called and the guest's mouth dropped open when the green-haired lady stepped into the kitchen wearing an apricot spring dress so cute and pretty that she was tempted to draw it for the cover. "Help me with the zipper at the back, please."

Arthur sighed and the guest politely turned her head to face the wall feeling as if she intruded on some intimate lovey dovey scene.

"You can't wear this."

"And why not, boya?"

"Well, it hardly matches my own outfit."

"I do not remember the invite ever mentioning couples must match one another."

They don't match? Oh now, she really must turn round and see! So the guest spun around on her chair and was just in time to witness the male started to shove the female out of the room. "Just go change it, _dear_."

Why was 'dear' said in such a… strange tone?

"My, you're so forceful, _dear_."

Again… such a strange tone…

Their guest squirmed uncomfortably in her seat and quickly glared down at her sketchbook as if that could make her look and feel less like she was intruding in the couple's affection time.

"I apologise for the interruption, shall we continue?" Arthur said, smoothly sliding into a kitchen chair and looking dutifully at the sketches she presented him. "Aa, the chimera looks fantastic but about if it's like this and then this bit will…C-I mean- Shirley! You can't wear that!"

The young man rushed impatiently out of his chair, caught his partner by the elbow and steered her out of the kitchen. Their guest groaned as quietly as she could. All she wanted was to get the job over and done with! She still has projects to finish and work to write up!

"What is wrong with this dress this time?"

"It's fine but…. Not suitable."

"In what way?"

"…"

"Oh? Why are you blushing, boya?"

"…"

"Hm… aa, I see, the last time I wore this was… hmm… boya is imagining the time we're… picking strawberries?"

Shirley started laughing and the forgotten guest (who really didn't mean to eavesdrop but how could she not when their hushed words were really not that hushed after all?) hurriedly tried to find something else to get distracted wit– ooo a Cheese-chan! She always wanted a Cheese-chan! Maybe if she can go for a whole month eating nothing but pizza then she can gather enough coupons to-

"My apologies, my partner is far too irresponsible and playful sometimes," said Arthur as he slid once more back into his seat and quickly picked through her sketches. "How about this one? It would fit the theme very well, especially for the first book."

Finally! They were getting somewhere! The guest nodded understandingly and with a pencil started making notes, "what about the colour scheme? I still need to work on the characters in that piece but the background work is all finished as you can see."

Urgh She hate drawing with characters! Why did he have to pick the one with the most….

The guest's jaw drop and she stared.

Why?

For there, standing right there, was the green-haired Shirley in a simple cotton white spring dress that matched her so perfectly that the guest really really wanted to draw it RIGHT NOW!

The soft folds of the skirt, the simple plain white straps, the old-fashioned embroidery on the bodice extending down to the ends of the skirt and the simple cut of the neckline – it was all stunningly simple and low-key…

Gah! This is bad! She was staring at the dress too much!

Arthur nodded, "yes, that dress should do."

The guest didn't know if she should be scandalised over his lack of appreciation for the dress or the way he said 'should do'.

Shirley glanced at the clock then flicked her eyes over to Arthur. "Are we not supposed to be going now?"

SHOULD DO? How can it be 'should do'? It's pretty! It's cute! It's…

"Yes, yes, we should," he smiled pleasantly at the guest who was still staring at the dress as if it hypnotised her. "I'm glad we had this meeting and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future."

"I hope I won't disappoint then," was the guest's automatic reply.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name?"

It's simple. It's clean cut. It's-GAH! She needed to stop these horridly girlish and pretty thoughts. Stop staring at the dress so much! Stop acting like….. like…. Stop acting like sempai!

"Shammy, call me Shammy."

* * *

END

* * *

**Dedicated to Shammy, my dear kouhai who I miss very much. Please come back to the forum.**


	9. Flowers and Babble

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: WitchxWarlock Spring Word Prompt – Flowers

* * *

**Flowers and Babble**

* * *

Of all places to be in, they were in a flower shop. It was not like they hate flowers nor that were they allergic to them. It was strange and bizarre only because the flower shop was not exactly a place they would visit… though visiting wasn't exactly what they were doing right now either as the correct term should be 'cornered and dragged in by an over-excited florist then being too polite to leave'.

"This all started because you stood and stared at the plant pot displayed in the window," remarked C.C. who was leaning against the wall beside a giant display of azaleas. Admittedly, she was rather enjoying watching Lelouch trying to remain polite yet trying to excuse the both of them from the shop.

"… Miss, I really was just looking at the plant pot on display and…" The boy started before the florist beamed and jabbered on with her breakneck speed speech.

"Plant pots, sir? Oh we have lots! What colour would you like? Cream? Terracotta? Maybe this green one? Oh, what were you thinking of planting in it? Orchids would look nice in this ornamental black pot, wouldn't it? How about orchids? They mean love, beauty, refinement, thoughtfulness and are also a Chinese symbol for many children." The florist waggled her eyebrows towards C.C. who quirked the corner of her lips up to laugh at her partner's awkward expression.

"We don't have any children."

The florist nodded and just when Lelouch though she'll finally shut up, she raced on again, this time dragging the young man by the arm until they were in front of a rainbow wall of roses. "Aa, no children but you can have some-" More eyebrow waggling was inserted at this point and Lelouch fought the urge to facepalm –"but since you didn't deny being together as man and wife with the pretty lady then maybe something more romantic? Rose! Roses! ROSES! Any colour! Pick a colour, any colour!"

The florist leant in, pulling Lelouch's face down closer to her own. The boy almost balked from the closeness but C.C. quirked another smirk up from the other end of the store. He unwillingly gritted his teeth and decided he will not let the witch have her entertainment so remained where he was.

"I'll give you a tip, eleven red roses and one yellow rose means love and passion. Perfect for the pretty lady, eh?" More eyebrow waggling and Lelouch started to wonder if the woman's eyebrows were like her mouth - never staying still.

"I rather prefer the yellow roses, boya," C.C. said helpfully from her spot. "They match my Cheese-kun."

Lelouch shot his accomplice a look that could only be described as 'witch, don't encourage her! Annoyed, annoyed, pissed, pissed, angry, angry etc.'

The witch smirked, fingers brushing the petals of the azaleas beside her. "Keep frowning like that and you'll get wrinkles, _love_."

The word was said teasingly and it made Lelouch blink at her confusedly for two seconds before realising that it was bait for the florist to latch onto and not let go.

"Ohohoho, aren't you two a fine pair of mandarin duckies. Gosh, being so lovey dovey in front of an old lady like me. Ohohohoho, I know the prefect flowers for such a sweet couple then! Peonies! Look! Aren't these gorgeous? Happy life and marriage are what these beauties mean. They match the pretty lady too!"

Lelouch watched, rather surprised, as C.C. seriously considered the flowers presented. "Hm, the pink would match my Cheese-chan."

"Peonies it will be then, my duckies! I'll pick you out my loveliest ones too!"

Lelouch sighed. Yes, finally, they were getting out of here. Just buy the flowers and leave. Sounds easy enough and maybe C.C. thought so too because she suddenly stopped and gazed at a batch of poppies sitting in a small pre-made bouquet.

She touched the petals, tracing the flower's round shape and face blank and unreadable as always.

"What does poppies mean, madam?" Lelouch asked the florist.

"Eternal sleep," the woman answered automatically as she eyed each peony in the flower bucket, inspecting them critically as if it will not do to sell them anything except for perfection on a stem.

She went on to natter something about the colours of poppies matter as well and that they were not all associated with her first answer but Lelouch ignored her.

He stepped beside his witch, lightly taking her hand that was not touching the poppy and laced his fingers with hers.

C.C. stopped tracing the flower, peered curiously down at their interlocked hands then slid her eyes up his arm, over his shoulder to his face. He stared at her, his face as expressionless as hers.

"Would you like poppies instead, C.C.?" he asked, still staring back at her face.

"Poppies? The lady wants poppies? Not peonies? Oh then you should have said so earlier. Aa, and my peonies are so beautiful this week too. It'll be a shame if you didn't buy them."

Again, Lelouch didn't appear to have heard her. He cocked his head one degree to the right and asked her again, his expression sliding quietly into one that's softer, like a gentle smile could emerge from the corner of his lips at any time. "Would you like poppies instead, C.C.?"

…Eternal sleep and poppies…

…Happy life and peonies…

The witch blinked then pulled her hand away from the poppies she was petting. She smirked.

"What a silly question, my warlock."

"Oh how cute, pet names for one another! Why I remember the time when my hubby used to call me sweetie-pie and I called him…"

C.C. smiled down at the florist who smiled back just as bright and happily as she had been throughout their entire stay in the shop. Lelouch facepalmed, if he knew all it took to shut the florist up was to smile then he could have done that right from the start then he wouldn't have to suffer her constant stream of headache-inducing chatter.

"I'll take the peonies," said C.C. and felt Lelouch's palm pressed against hers just a miniscule, barely noticeable, bit more.

"Of course you will, my pet. You have such a lovely shade of green for your hair. These little beauties will match you perfectly."

"Peonies, it will be then," Lelouch confirmed, barely able to contain the delight of finally escaping the shop.

"Lovely peonies for a lovely couple," the florist almost sang. "Now…"

Lelouch moved to get his wallet, not even bothering to disguise how delighted he was to leave now. Yes, yes, just pay for the flower and go. Pay for the flowers and go - easy as that. Do they accept credit card? He didn't have cash with him…

"Now, how would you like these wrapped? I have pink paper, red paper, green paper, oh a whole rainbow of papers! Ribbons? Thin ribbons or large ones? I can do many different bows too. Oh how about this floral print paper? And what about-"

Lelouch groaned, C.C. chuckled and the florist babbled on.

What a strange question that was – very strange – and how does one answer it?

What colour should you wrap peonies in?

…

What colour should you wrap happy life in?

* * *

END

* * *

**And yes, I love babbling characters - mostly because I babble often too.**

**Not sure if I got the flower meanings correct. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.**

**AD: WITCHXWARLOCK FORUM! JOIN NOW! IT'S QUIET! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE! SEE MY PROFILE FOR LINK, PLZ!  
**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	10. Singing and Humming

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: WitchxWarlock Spring Prompt – Sing me a Song

**A/N: **Am amused by the amount of readers who thought the florist from the previous chapter resembled me. I don't babble that much, ne?... maybe I do *chuckles*

**Warning**: Major OOC and bore-fest? Because I refuse to make them sing.

* * *

**Singing and Humming**

* * *

"Are you humming?" C.C. asked and he stared over at her from his end of the sofa. He thought she was asleep and the way her arms were curled on top of the armrest, with her head nested on said arm, certainly gave the illusion she had fallen sleeping watching T.V. with him.

She lifted her head and blinked blearily – maybe she really had been sleeping there.

"You were humming to that commercial's theme tune, weren't you?"

"Hn. Of course not," he said, turning back to face the T.V. with his face composed and cool. Humming? Him? Humming? Preposterous.

"Hmm?" she droned and from the corner of his eye, he could see her place her chin back into the arm she was dozing on and the corner of her lips creeping up into some sort of knowing smirk.

"I was not humming, C.C.," he confirmed.

She shifted her legs, readjusting them and tucking them beside her on the sofa. "Oh, but you were."

"You must have been dreaming."

"I fell asleep but I haven't started dreaming when you started humming."

"I wasn't humming."

"Whatever you say then, boya," the witch said and closed her eyes again.

Two minutes later, Lelouch felt her foot slide across the sofa and her toe prodding his hip inquiringly. His lips quirked up but didn't turn from the T.V. "I am not going to be able to watch the news in peace, aren't I?"

"Sing me a lullaby, Lelouch," was her unusual demand this time

He paused as his brain tried to make sense of her words. Was he hearing her right? A lullaby? Then he sighed and continued watching the reporter on T.V. shuffle his papers before moving onto the next news item. His reply was simple and curt. "I don't sing."

Another soft prod of her toes on his hip followed by a teasing note of "If you can hum then you can sing."

"I'm not saying I can't. I'm saying I don't."

She chuckled and prodded him with her toe again. "Sing."

No answer.

"Sing, Lelouch. Sing me a song." To this day, Lelouch still could not comprehend how she could say such… bordering whiny words with such a lack of emotion. He fathomed that a rock had more emotion than his witch.

"Why are you suddenly so insistent on hearing me sing?"

Her foot crept onto his lap and, seconds later, her other foot followed yet her upper body remained unmoved at the other side of the sofa. "Just a little curious."

"Well, I don't sing."

"Hmmm, I'm sure you will one day."

That caught his attention and he turned from the T.V., staring at her questioningly. "What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing at all, my warlock."

He raised an eyebrow then dropped the remote, not even bothering to switch of the T.V. since he was confident he'll return to focusing on it soon. He lifted her ankles of his lap and climbed onto the sofa, his long body leaning over hers and his hands on the sofa on either side of her.

"What is wrong, C.C.?"

She laughed and this time, it was her turn to focus on the T.V. rather than her companion. "Why would you ask that?"

"Why are you asking me to sing when you know it's neither in my own character nor yours to sing?"

"I'm just curious, that's all. Can a witch not be curious?"

He was quiet for a moment then he raised a hand and ran his index finger down the curve of her jaw-line, softly resting it under her chin. "Whatever you say then."

"What are you doing, Lelouch?"

He smirked. "Singing."

By now, the T.V. was forgotten by both of them and she swivelled her gaze to his face, taking in that cool and effortlessly confident expression of his - an expression that was accompanied by half lidded violet eyes and the elegance of a gentleman in smooth control.

"Singing?" she asked, grinning. "Singing me a song?"

He leant close, faltering just a fraction of a second then lightly grazed his lips on hers.

"No, I'm not the one singing."

"Now you're just baffling me, boya," she said though she certainly didn't look the least bit baffled.

He brushed another kiss on her lips, a dusting of pink barely visible on his face and his hand wrapped around a few strands of her green hair.

"I won't be singing. You will be."

She laughed, tilting her head to one side in coax him to kiss her by the ear and possibly trailing down to her neck. He looked at the skin that was suddenly available to him then glanced at the windows as if wary of peeking neighbours before bending down doing ghosting faint kisses below her ear.

"How will I sing, boya?"

"I'll make…" her neck tickled as she felt his lips quirk into a grin he could not contain. "I'll make your body sing for me."

Her arms moved from the armrest they were resting on and encircled his neck. "Is that so? And… what if it's the other way round?"

"Witch."

"Warlock."

He chuckled lowly, hands hooking under her knees and nuzzled her cheek once then picked her up. "Sing me a song?"

"If you can even make me sing in the first place, boya."

"I can."

"Easier said than done," the witch said as he carried her through the house. She rested her head against his shoulder then closed her eyes, lips still smirking. "Easier said than done, boya."

* * *

END

* * *

**Only two more Spring Prompts to write then it's onto the summer ones…. Maybe.**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	11. Shopping and Rain

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass

**Word Prompt(s):** WitchxWarlock Spring Prompt – 'Shopping' and 'Rain'

* * *

**Shopping and Rain**

* * *

"Why did you choose a rainy day to do the shopping?" C.C. sighed, wrapping her coat tighter around herself in effort to keep out the chill.

Lelouch peered out of the bus stop they were sheltering in and examined the grey clouds above them. He flicked open his cell phone and started searching online for the day's weather forecast as he answered his partner's question, "C.C., I always do the shopping on a Friday regardless of the weather. You didn't have to come along if you disliked the rain so much."

"Hn, it was clear weather earlier," was her only reply as she sat down on the shelter's bench, throwing her share of shopping bags onto the seat beside her and hugged her coat whilst Lelouch paced the length of the bus shelter for a spot with better reception.

She didn't need to come with Lelouch. He can handle shopping by himself but she waited a week for the Cheese-kun pillow to arrive and she refused to wait a day longer. Her warlock was pleasantly surprised when she followed him out of the house and into the car but didn't complain – instead, he took utmost advantage of the situation and bought even more groceries since there was now an extra pair of hands to help him carry the bags.

She glanced down at her new Cheese-kun pillow and smiled in a most pleased fashion. It was larger than she expected and did not fit into the bag they provided but it was worth all the coupons she saved up.

Lelouch held up his phone experimentally, still trying to find a good reception to check the weather with.

"Don't bother, the rain wouldn't stop for a few hours."

He looked up from his phone to give her a raised eyebrow. "You saw the weather forecast for today?"

She leant forward and peered past the edge of the shelter's roof to the clouds in the sky. "Whatever made you think I would pay attention to that?"

"Then how would you know?"

"Boya, I have been working out in the elements way before your grandfather was born. I should know how to read the clouds better than some overpaid weather channel presenter."

"Very well, then what do you propose we do?" he asked, setting his bags beside hers on the bench. "We're parked further away than I would have preferred and the rain isn't going to be stopping any time soon. We can't wait here for a few hours since part of my shopping will melt or go off by then.

"I will be missing my T.V. show at this rate."

Lelouch's eyebrow twitched once. Apparently melting groceries wasn't listed in C.C.'s list of concerns.

"We can run to the car," Lelouch suggested but instantly knew it was far from a feasible plan because:

A) His stamina is unbelievably poor even now when he is immortal. Running to the car whilst carrying shopping may as well be running track with weights for him and he was fairly sure he'll end up keeling over with exhaustion somewhere around the first set of traffic lights.

B) C.C.'s new pillow cannot fit in the bag they were given, thus a good half of the pillow was sticking outside the bag without protection. Immortal or not, Lelouch's taste buds and stomach refuse go through another month of nothing but pizza to save up enough pizza coupons to swap for another pillow to replace a rain-ruined one.

C.C. eyed him up and down then smirked, "If you think you can make it to down the street without dying of exhaustion then go ahead and try, my warlock."

"You never miss a chance to tease me, do you?" he asked in a noting voice.

"Never."

They waited a minute longer, during which Lelouch sidestepped thrice to dodge incoming waves of rainwater created from cars driving through puddles and C.C. took her Cheese-kun pillow out of the bag to give it a test-run by pressing it into the side of her head.

"I should have parked closer."

"You should have indeed."

He gave her a quizzical raised eyebrow. "Are you not suppose to fulfil the loving wife's role and comfort me by saying 'it's not your fault, the closest car-park was full. There's nothing you could have done.'?"

"Ara, I was? Though playing the nagging wife role suits me so much more."

She smirked and he chuckled then cupped his hands to his mouth and tried to warm them with his breath.

Another car swept past and Lelouch sidestepped another onslaught of rainwater threatening to tidal wave onto him.

"Well, my genius warlock, have you thought of a solution?"

He looked around then dug into his pockets to check how much money he still had after the shopping trip. "I'll be right back."

C.C. watched as he lifted the collar of his coat to cover his head. It looked horrendously foolish but it kept him dry long enough to skip across the road and into the shelter of a small shop she had failed to notice until now.

Several minutes later, he returned with an umbrella that could barely fit the both of them under. She eyed it with distaste. "Was there not any larg-"

"It's the only one they have left."

"We can't both fit underneath that without my pillow getting wet."

"What do you propose then?"

"I propose I take the umbrella with my Cheese-kun and you walk in the rai-"

"Not happening."

She glared at the umbrella and he lowered it for a split second to shield himself from another mini-wave of rainwater from passing cars.

After a few more seconds, she sighed loudly and he gaped as she pulled the pillow from its bag before stuffing the fluffy thing under her coat.

"It will not get wet if it's like this," she muttered and quickly started picking up her share of the shopping. She stepped to the edge of the bus shelter, turning back to stare at him with one eye. "Are we going or not then, Lelouch?"

"Aa... um… coming," he said, snatching up his bags and stepping beside her with the umbrella. "You look like a pregnant woman with that thing stuffed in your coat."

She gave a bark of laughter as they stepped out into the rain. "Pregnant? With Cheese-kun as a child?"

"Your dream child, no?"

She grinned, "possibly."

He switched all his shopping to one hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer so that she was nearer to the centre of the umbrella.

Halfway down the street and when the corners of their plastic shopping bags were dripping with rainwater, Lelouch's grin slipped.

"Lelouch," she said in your normal monotone voice as they continued walking, his gaze occasionally flicking to the bulge of her coat. "You're not alone."

"Neither are you."

"We'll never be."

* * *

END

* * *

**I actually liked this piece…. A lot! (Except the ending – it doesn't sit as right as I wanted it to sit) I makes me feel like my old style and I would almost readily abandon my new style for my old one.**

**Devi**: Glad you like the pairing because it's the only one I write! XD Thanks for reading!

**Anymouses**: I did not even realise it was exactly 15000 words until you pointed it out. I still couldn't believe it was exactly that too. Couldn't have hit that target even if I tried. ^^ Thanks.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	12. Dance and Steps

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

No word prompts for this one. The 'One step, two step, three step' line simply refused to leave my head until it was typed out. Not my best work but it feels great to get that line out of my head!

* * *

**Dance and Steps**

* * *

_One step, two step…_

She plucked at a loose thread on the shoulder of his jacket, her face looking much like that of a mother idly fixing and grooming her child's appearance.

_One step, two step, three ste-_

There was the squeaking sounds of shoes slipping and fighting for a better grip on polished wooden floors but it was mostly masked by the music playing somewhere to their left. Nonetheless, the pair succeeded in stumbling back three spaces and crashing into the couple behind them.

"Ara, I never knew you were so bad at dancing, my warlock."

"C.C., you tripped me up on purpose."

"Did I? Well, I'll have to be subtler next time then."

Lelouch nodded apologies to the couple they crashed into and casted a sidelong scolding glance at his green-haired partner. C.C. rolled her eyes, turning from idle caring mother to impatient mother in the mere second it took for her pupils to traverse around the edges of her eyes, and yanked him back to their place on the dance floor.

…

By his tie.

…

Which really could have been a rather kinky thought…

…

If she didn't proceed to ruin the 'kinkiness' of the scene by smoothing down his tie and lapels rather tiredly – this impatient mother obviously thought this dancing business was a complete waste of her time. It must be noted that her time was, is and always will be rather precious thus should be properly used for more 'useful' activities, such as munching her way up and down the buffet table… oh wait, they don't serve pizzas in high class parties such as the one they were in.

She sighed and vowed to never attend any formal parties their neighbours invite them to.

Nonetheless, her hands drifted to the right positions, Lelouch's foot tapped the floor to regain the rhythm of the music and they started again.

_One step, two step, three ste-_

"Counter-clockwise, my dear. Counter-clockwise," Lelouch chided with the words 'my dear' sounding rather forced if one listened close enough.

"Aa, I was taught clockwise."

"You were taught incorre-"

"Having lived more decades than you, boya, I do believe I should know how to dance."

He chose to ignore her words and continue the dance. Very wise, boy. Never argue with an impatient wise old lady. Especially if old lady's heel is within stamping distance of own foot and also possess the power to easily drain your bank account dry within hours.

_One step, two step, three ste-_

"Counter-clockwi-"

"As I said, I was taught clockwise," she replied, the corner of her lips almost twitching into a smirk.

"You were taught incorrectly."

"I've been dancing before your grandfather was born, I would like to think that my version is the original and thus, ultimately, the _correct_ way."

"Well, the witch will have to adapt to the new way then."

_One step, two step, three ste-_

"C.C., counter-clo-"

"The witch rejects the new way."

_One step, two step, three ste-_

So Lelouch thinned his lips into a grim line and bore with it, adjusting his hand to spin her clockwise rather than keeping the counter-clockwise position. He was sure that if he kept them positioned the other way any longer, she would wrench at his wrist until his hand is very prettily dangling off his arm, utterly dislocated and looking really, actually, not pretty at all.

Of course, always finding great satisfaction in foiling Lelouch's plans, C.C. went counter-clockwise.

"C.C…" he warned.

She shrugged, "This part of the dance was always counter-clockwise."

"You could have warned me."

"Aa, I thought you knew since you insisted you know the correct version of this dance."

"Let's just finish this, please."

"Great idea," she droned, "Then we can pick up pizza on the way home."

His nose wrinkled at the thought of pizza for dinner (once again) but wisely stayed silent – again, smart choice, shins and toes looks nicer without bruises and bank accounts are healthier with money in them.

_One step, two step, three ste-_

He rolled his eyes. They were never going to reach that accursed third step, were they?

"Shall we go now?"

"C.C., at least finish the dance."

"Is there really much point in doing so?"

_One step, two step, three ste-_

She poked him. Hard. On the ribs.

He chose to ignore her.

_One step, two step, three ste-_

"Lelouch?"

"C.C.?"

"Shall we go?"

"Why are you so insistent on leaving?"

"Because this party is rather dull and Pizza Hut is closing early today."

_One step, two step, three ste-_

She opened her mouth to say something again. Something that could make his nerves twitch in annoyance just as much as all her previous sentences.

"Lelo-"

"Just a little longer," he whispered into her ear and she sighed again.

"I never knew you liked formal parties and dancing so much."

"I don't…. not really… I think."

"You think?"

He didn't reply and she didn't question further.

_One step, two step, three step…_

Lelouch blinked and almost smirked when she danced the part correctly.

_One step, two step, three step…_

His smirk dropped when her one appeared.

_One step, two step, thr-_

"C.C., what are you doing?" He asked, rather scandalised by the way his cell phone shone like a beacon on the dimly lit dance-floor.

"Ordering pizza delivery, what else?"

The warlock groaned and fought the temptation to face-palm.

_One step, two ste-_

"What's the address for this hotel again? Ara, where are we going, Lelouch? Your grip on my wrist is quite sore. Lelouch?"

The doors of the ballroom clapped shut behind them and C.C. grinned victoriously.

* * *

END

* * *

**RaV**: Thanks! This one is… less cute, me thinks.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	13. Camera and Action

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: None

**Dedicated to Lost-chan** because I said I'll dedicate a fic to her but obviously I still haven't got round to actually writing it. So please accept this for the time being?

**A/N:** I was struck by a GENIUS moment about… 3-4 weeks back? And really, it was so GENIUS that I actually CONSIDERED myself a genius (and that happens VERY rarely, if ever). It took me all these 3-4 weeks to find all the right words and now that it's done…. It doesn't really look as genius as I thought it'll look. ^^;

And _for those who read all the way to the bottom and came back up here to read this_: Genius concept ne? Pity I'm not very good at it… this is why I never write long A/Ns at the top! I'm too long-winded and I babble too much!

* * *

**Camera and Action**

* * *

Fact: Lelouch will never succeed in the photography field as long as his model was C.C.

She laughed and flicked some strands of hair over her shoulder.

"I have no idea how this happened but can we continue this somewhere more comfortable?"

He frowned at her words, put down his camera, rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on her waist until she was exactly where he wanted her. He smirked.

"Boya, see something he like?"

He raised his fingers and lightly fingered the button.

She fidgeted impatiently and huffed. "This is taking forever, warlock."

"I'm…" He managed to say before almost dropping his camera when she suddenly shifted and the whole scene changed.

"You're too slow," was her answer when he quirked an eyebrow upwards to his hairline.

"What are you doing?"

The belt around her waist loosened and she almost sighed at how delicious it felt to be able to breathe again.

She almost grinned at his scandalised reaction but she wasn't satisfied yet.

Lelouch gulped as her fingers trailed up and starting unbuttoning the top three buttons of…

"Hm, I didn't know you were into these kind of pictures, Lelouch."

"Wait! Hold still!" He lifted his camera, determined to catch that pose. Grumbling, she obeyed... for a little while.

"Your hand, bring it lower?"

Fingertips grazed the thin layer of crinkled cotton as they made their way downwards.

"Lower."

Belt.

"Lower," he said after a pause.

She fingered the edge of the shirt then smirked so devilishly that Lelouch fought to contain a flinch.

"Lower?" She purred teasingly and he spluttered, hand freezing on the buttons. Purred? C.C.? She could do that?

"Ara, a blush, boya?" She asked, hands trailing down to her hips and easing the waistband of the skirt further down her body.

He collected himself somewhat and managed a blushing scoff. "No, of course not."

C.C. tilted her head to one side and teased most condescendingly, "Our warlock here is rather poor at containing himself."

"This outfit is rather suffocating, don't you think?" was the reply and hands move to start the unzipping of the back of her skirt.

"At least let me…"

"Later."

She kicked off her high heels and slid her scarf off her neck. "Mm, now would be a nice time for pizz-"

Suddenly, he shoved his camera aside, grabbed her around the waist, spun her around and hefted her onto the table they have in the hallway. His hands were on either side of her thighs and his body neatly slotted between her legs so as to make it difficult for her to wriggle free.

She quirked an elegant eyebrow up and the corner of her mouth twitched, somewhat amused now.

He kissed her roughly on the lips and chuckled, "Just stay here and let me finish this?"

"My, somebody is pushy today. So unlike you, Lelouch."

"It's your fault for testing my patience too much, witch. You can't just suddenly start to walk out of a photo shoot like that…" he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ears and grasping the back of her head with his fingers laced into her green locks.

She didn't even bothered moving to push him off, instead she just stared at him, waiting for him to say and/or do something.

He grinned, hands clutching her shoulders firmly, and pushed her back until she was leaning against the wall. "Seems like I'll never succeed in the photography field as long as my model is a witch…"

She laughed and fingered the camera strap around his neck. "One more then…maybe."

* * *

END

* * *

**Sorry it's short!**

**Now…. The genius moment… ERASE everything you just read and read _UP_ the ways, _PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH_ (or line or line... whichever it's called in this case).*snickers***

**Ms. Hayashi's greatest fan**: You made me choke on my drink when I read your screen-name! Greatest fan… *blushes BRIGHTLY* Nononononono, I'm far from worthy! As for a proper reply to your review… well, um…er… I'm actually in the side of C.C. fans who think it's impossible for C.C. to get pregnant… sorry about that… Thank you for liking my work! Thank you thank you thank you!

**Tolettemieux**: Hehe, thank you! It's not my best work, I admit that, so it always surprises me that readers like it so much. It makes me incredibly happy. Thank you.

**RaV**: A more romantic scene, you say? I would if I could but this pair is rather un-romantic-able sometimes… at least without C.C. ruining it all by saying how ridiculously corny it all is… Thank you for saying it's cute too ^^.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	14. Autumn and Accomplices

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass

**Prompt**: None

**A/N:** As per usual, this chapter insisted in being written and to be honest, I didn't really like this chapter... I apologise in advance for any mistakes, errors, typoes, OOC occurences etc that I've made during this chapter because I'm sure there is plenty.

* * *

**Autumn and Accomplices**

* * *

C.C. pursed her lips and carefully blew a stream of breath out, watching as it appeared as a string of white steam and dissipate into the air. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets and hunched her shoulders in attempt to get warmer whilst Lelouch sneeze loudly beside her.

The witch rolled her eyes and fought back a shiver before saying, "Even though we don't get sick, you still use up insane amounts of tissue, Lelouch."

"What does it matter, I'm the one paying for them anyways," the boy sniffled and tossed his tissue clump into the nearest trash can as they made their way down the path, occasionally scuffling through the beginnings of piles of fallen autumn leaves.

The witch watched her warlock from the corner of her eyes, trying to read him but he looked… normal.

"Is something wrong?" she finally asked him as they hurried inside their local newsagent and sighed almost blissfully when the door closed behind them, shutting the cold air outside. Aa, warmth… sweet delicious warmth that melts fingers that were on the verge of becoming popsicles.

He gave her a strange look as if she was speaking in a foreign language then shrugged with an effortless smile. "What are you talking about, C.C.? What could be wrong?"

She stared at him a moment longer as he started picking newspapers out of the stands. C.C. pulled her lips into a grim line and then moved onto the candy section, making the kids there freeze for a nanosecond when they realised they had an adult in their midst. Should they move aside? Should they continue and act like bratty kids? OMG, should they start sweep all the candy off the shelf so that the adult won't buy it all? OMG, she's wearing a Cheese-kun badge! She must be a member of the Cheese-kun fanclub! Whoa! They never knew their club had such a pretty adult in their ranks!

Shyly, the kids sidestepped a step away from her as she started skimming the boxes of sweets for something she'll like whilst the kids stared up at her in admiration.

"What's wrong with him?" she mouthed silently to herself as she started picking candy from the shelves.

She glanced back over at her warlock to find him randomly flicking open his selected newspapers and pausing to look at the occasional pages.

"What's wrong with him?" she tried again, now feeling a scant bit silly for mouthing words silently to herself like this.

There was nothing wrong with him really. He was… normal. He woke up, ate breakfast, watched T.V., tried to work but obviously hit a writer's block thus resulted in two hours of fiddling with whatever he could get his hands on (be it pen, pencil, paper, book or glasses) and finally got bored of staying in the house. He was pulling on his coat when she finally woke up from her nap, asking when lunch was.

Somehow or the other, he convinced her to join him for lunch at some obscure café he heard of and everything was fine there as well…

Yet…

Something was off…

Was he too quiet? No, no, he was chatting normally with her and even performed his usual indignant spluttering when she teased him too blatantly.

Was he too chatty then? She scoffed. Lelouch? Chatty? That's a sight to see.

Was he too…

"Are you ready yet?" Lelouch asked, appearing at her elbow all the sudden.

She blinked then piled all her sweets into his arms. "Sure, be a good boya and pay for mine as well."

Lelouch rolled his eyes but otherwise, did as told and paid for her candy, sharing one of those exasperated-snort-women-eye-roll smiles with the male cashier when he started going through the sweets.

When they left the shop and she started attacking a lolly wrapper with undisguised impatience, she asked again, "What's wrong with you today, Lelouch?"

Again, he gave her a baffled expression. "Nothing, why do you keep asking? Is there suppose to be something wrong with me?"

She plopped the lolly into her mouth, rolling it around with her tongue until it was fully coated with her saliva. "Liar."

"Excuse me?"

"You're lying, Lelouch," she answered coolly, like a professional analysing something irrelevant and simple. She rolled the lolly from one side of her mouth to the other then started walking, heading down the path that will take them home.

He followed quickly until he was beside her, newspaper tucked under his arm and face composed in an unreadable expression.

* * *

She was three quarters of the way home before she realised that her warlock wasn't walking beside her nor following behind her anymore. She sucked at her lolly, fiddled with her bag of candy until she extracted another lolly and stomped her feet on the pavement thrice before she sighed impatiently like a very tired mother.

"What is wrong with that boy?" She unwrapped the new lolly, spun around and grumbled, "Hmph, he can do whatever he wishes."

She stuck the second lolly into her mouth so that there was two lolly sticks sticking comically out from between her lips then gave a very satisfied grin as the flavours mixed together to become something new.

"Let's go home then," she said to herself and continued walking.

* * *

He wrapped his hands around the paper cup in his hands and watched as some children kicked a football around the clearing in the park in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" a tired voice asked behind him.

He looked up and grinned at his witch. "You came back? And here I was thinking you'll head on home without me."

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, shivered and sat down on the bench beside him. "I did."

"Then why did you come back looking for me?" He smirked, "Missed me?"

"Hmph, hardly," she scoffed then extracted one of the lollies from her mouth and tossing the now lolly-less stick into the trashcan beside her.

"Coffee?" he asked, offering his own cup of warm coffee. She looked at it, then her gold eyes travelled up the hand offering the cup, up the arm, to the shoulder and finally to his face.

Suddenly she pulled the lolly from her mouth, leant over and kissed him hard on the lips, crushing his lips between the front of his teeth and her lips.

When she pulled back, the kids who was playing in front of them earlier wolf-whistled until she flicked them a coy grin that might (or might not have) suggested she'll throw their football in front of the nearest car if they didn't stop jeering.

Lelouch blinked at her in a daze then choked back a blush… or tried to hold the blush at bay but failed rather… epically. "What was that for?"

"To make you remember that I'm here with you for eternity."

He stared at her.

She snickered, "Or at least that's what they'll make me say if this is some corny movie. Really, Lelouch. Do you truly expect me to spout that kind of cheesy line?"

"You just did."

She laughed again and reinserted her lollipop between her teeth, sucking contently on the strawberry flavour.

He offered her his coffee again and this time, she tossed away her lolly, leant in and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing his face into her shoulder. He sputtered against her coat but didn't pull away.

"What are you doing, C.C.?"

"I should be asking you that, Lelouch. What are you doing?"

"Sitting in the park, having coffee, admiring the beauty of drifting autumn leaves and being suffocated by your tight grip, witch."

She just held him tighter.

"What are you doing, Lelouch?"

"I just told yo-"

"Stop pretending."

"Pardon?"

"I saw the news on T.V. when I went home."

"And?"

"Stop pretending to be normal, stupid boy. I've watched people for more years than you can comprehend. I can tell there's something wrong with you even before I saw the news."

"What gave it away?..GKKKT! C.C., I can't breathe if you keep this up."

She grinned into his hair. "Interesting sound you made there, boya."

"C.C., what are you doing?"

"Hugging a stupid warlock, what else?"

"I'm not…stupid…"

And tears came.

He clutched the fronts of her coat and buried his face into her coat.

"You owe me a new coat if you get this one covered with snot and tears," she remarked but she didn't even try to make it sound like a tease or a demand. She just held him tighter as he continued to cry into her shoulder.

"It'll get easier as time passes," she whispered and the very air around them seem ask 'really?'.

She shivered as a cold wind blew by then pressed her lips and nose into her accomplice's hair.

Her eyes scrolled down to the newspaper left on the bench beside Lelouch and there in big bold caps were the first three words of what she saw on T.V.: Death of beloved…

"It'll get easier…" she whispered again, closing her eyes and holding him even tighter against her as he cried silently and unmoving on her shoulder. "Easier… as time passes…"

Though they both knew she was lying through her teeth.

* * *

END

* * *

**RaV**: *blushes* Thank you.

**Ms. Hayashi's greatest fan: ***blushes even more* No no no, stop thinking so highly of me. I'm flattered and honoured, yes, but there's many more authors who could write what you suggested ^^ Many talents in our section here and the C.C. pregnant idea has already been done more than a few times.

**Random**: I certainly hope you haven't read something similar! Because if you did then it'll really make me slightly curious and worried that there's somebody else who would be crazy enough like me to attempt a backwards piece of writing. Thank you anyways, for reading and reviewing.

**WITCHXWARLOCK FORUMS! COME! COOKIES! GLOMPS! GO! WE NEED CHATTER TO FILL IN THE AWFUL SILENCE WE'VE BEEN HAVING! FREE PIZZAS!**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	15. Bed and Sharing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass

* * *

**Bed and Sharing**

* * *

**How to sleep with a witch:**

**1. Take one warlock.**

The only members of the opposite sex that Lelouch ever shared a bed with were his sisters and that was only when they were young and had crawled into each other's beds when nightmares struck one of them. Oh wait, he guessed, he could count his mother as another since everybody (Nunnally, Euphie, himself and even Cornelia once or twice) had climbed into her bed several times to get rid of whatever monsters that still lurked in their dreams at that young age.

So with only a handful of barely re-collectable memories of sleeping with a girl, it was safe to say he had practically no experience of such a thing when he started sharing a bed with C.C.. He didn't know that girls could be such fussy creatures in the simple act of sleeping.

**2. Add one witch.**

There was a creak on the floorboards outside his room and Lelouch groaned, rolling over in his bed before shoving his head under his pillow. He almost gave out a zombie groan of dread when his door inched open.

"Could you not sleep in your own bed for once, C.C.?" he grumbled into the mattress, not caring how articulate he was sounding at the moment.

She didn't answer him but pushed at his side enough to make him free up enough space for her to crawl in. "I don't see a problem. Your bed is big enough for both of us. You just sleep on your side and I, mine."

**3. Cover with one blanket.**

"C.C.," he hissed with a soft poke to her arm. "You're taking up all of the blanket."

The pizza-fanatic snorted in her sleep and rolled over, still clutching the same amount of blanket and making her warlock sigh loudly. He poked her in the back, a little more harder this time, and gave the blanket a very obvious tug that was the universal hint for 'he was cold, impatient and would like to get some decent sleep round about now'.

"C.C…"

"You're so annoying," the witch grumbled almost incoherently before relinquishing some of the blanket. "Here."

Lelouch stared in stunned silence then flatly remarked, "Witch, that's just one extra inch!"

C.C. snorted with barely concealed laughter, shoulders shaking enough to shake the bed.

"I'm going to sleep in your room," Lelouch sighed finally and grabbed his pillow before leaving.

"Close the door on your way out," the witch called after him before snuggling deeper into the blankets.

**4. Beat witch with pillow for 5-7 minutes.**

He smacked at her half-heartedly with his pillow. "C.C., please move over."

"I thought you were going to sleep in my room."

He paused his pillow beating and forcefully wedged himself onto the bed, sticking as close to her as possible to get as much blanket as he could.

"Don't tell me you were unnerved by all my Cheese-kuns figurines staring at you as you sleep."

This time, it was his turn to snort. "Of course not, witch. Your bed is lumpy and the springs dig into me."

"Now you know why I sleep in your bed," she replied and he could imagine the size of the smirk that must be on her face right now.

He whipped his pillow round at her again and she barked one note of laughter before they both tried to fall asleep again back to back.

**5. Squeeze the warlock until no air is trapped within.**

He was sleeping peacefully, floating around a flowery dreamland where Nunnally beckoned him with a flower ring ready to drape on his head. Of course, every wonderful dream must be ruined in some way or another so in this case, he suddenly felt something very warm pressed onto his back then something incredibly strong wrapped around his chest tight enough to make it difficult for him to breathe. If he was a girl, he would probably wake up screaming pervert from being very positively taken advantage of in the chest area.

"C-C-C-…C.C.!" he choked awake, his hand trying to reach behind and wake the girl who hugging him so tightly from behind. "I'm not…Che-eese-k-kun. Can't breathe!"

Aa, but his arms were pinned to his sides by her hugging and it was very awkward to wriggle anywhere when you realised you're at the very edge of the bed where one single move will result in getting familiar with the wooden floor of his room.

**6. Add a pinch of desperation.**

Immortal or not, being hugged to death was an awfully humiliating way to go so and Cheese-kun was lucky for being a plushie thus do not possess any lungs. Lelouch somehow managed to reach up and snag a bit of the witch's skin between his fingers. He pinched hard and even gave it a terrible twist that will sure to bruise had the victim not be able to heal almost instantly like him.

C.C. flinched awake, kicking him off the bed in the process. "Ow, what was that for, Lelouch?" hissed the witch in the dark as she sat up and reflexively glanced at the area on her arm he pinched.

"You," he gasped, wincing as he planted one hand then the other back onto the bed. His head popped into view from over the edge. "You were trying to murder me in my sleep…and yours."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Impossible."

"You mistook me for your precious Cheese-kun."

"Even more impossible. My Cheese-kun is adorable and squishy and you're…Lelouch."

Lelouch sighed, rolling his eyes though it was unlikely she'll see it in the dark. "I take that as an insult but I choose to ignore it since I am once again surprised at how immature you are sometimes."

The bed creak and suddenly, he was flicked right between the eyes – amazing how well she could aim in the dark.

**7. Mix up limbs and hair.**

"Ow!" cried the boy, one hand flew up to nurse his new 'wound' and the other groped out into the darkness and caught her wrist. He pulled her off the bed, feeling her fall on top of him and his own elbows banging loudly onto the floor whilst her knees did the same a second later.

"I'm surprised how immature you act sometimes," she echoed grimly as she picked herself off the floor.

"It was an accident," was his answer as he followed suit. DOOK and their heads cracked together as they attempted to get back onto the bed at exactly the same spot. "An accident like that one."

She recovered first and managed to get onto her feet this time, whilst he found the blanket on the floor and started to pick it up. Of course, things never go smoothly for two immortals in one dark room so it was hardly a surprise anymore when C.C. came crashing down on Lelouch once again.

"What happened?" he asked, starting to wonder if it was possible to get any sleep at all that night.

"You pulled the blanket out from under my feet," said the muffled voice of C.C. somewhere near his stomach.

"You were standing on it?" He blinked, her face was on his stomach? Then that means that's her…on his…

"With this outcome, what do you think, boya?"

…

There was a chuckle and then tips of her green hair were being flicked on his nose. "Are you blushing, boya?"

"No."

"Really?" she kissed his stomach and he could feel the shape of her lips through his shirt.

"I'm going to bed," he managed to say, brushing her off and climbing back into his bed once more for the third time that night. He felt the mattress tilted to one side as she climbed on after him.

"Lelouch?"

"What?"

"Turn around."

"Wh-"

**8. Exit to dreamland.**

"Did you just kiss me?" he whispered, choosing to amused more than a blushing and stuttering fool.

"That I did."

"What for?"

Another kiss, longer this time and firmer so that the back of his head was pressed a few centimetres deeper into his pillow. She pulled back with a squeak of the bed.

He felt her trace a fingernail down his jawline, scratching lightly on his throat like a satisfied cat pawing at its owner. "Goodnight, what else? Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he said and as she snuggled into the blankets and fluttered away to the cheesy paradise that was her dream, he couldn't help but bring his hand up to his lips.

"Now how am I suppose to fall asleep?" he muttered to the ceiling.

* * *

END

* * *

**-lulu:** They're the only stories I know how to write. Me attempting drama/historical/serious business would be like a fish attempting to walk on land – panicky splatters then if I'm lucky, get back into water (my safezone) or die. Thanks for the review.

**N:** The backwards story will forever give me a genius feeling even if I felt like it could be improved on massively but the concept never fails to me smile proudly. Thank you.

**RaV:** As I've said to others already, it's not confirmed who it was that died. Giving that away will be like giving the time setting of all these stories away and I like the 'any setting, anywhere' feeling of these stories too much to do that. Sorry if that's not the answer you're looking for. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Ms. hayashi's greatest fan: Aa**, yes. The chapter was a bit off hence why I said I didn't really liked it. Thanks for reviewing it regardless.

**KiKi Hayashi**


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